More than High School

...or Can You Hear Me Now?

Outside Alfea, Stella is telling Bloom and her parents about the realm-renowned school of Alfea, and showing them the school. Vanessa says they should check out the school before allowing Bloom to go. Michael walks forth, and crashes into an invisible wall. Bloom tries walking forth, and says that the wall must be gone. Stella explains that there actually is an invisible wall, which keeps non-magical creatures out. Though interestingly, Kiko has no trouble passing through. Stella shows Michael and Vanessa the official Alfea slide globe, which shows a few scenes from various future episodes, as well as playing the Alfea song. The students must be embarrassed by this song. Vanessa agrees that Bloom should have a great year at Alfea. Michael tells Kiko to take care of her. Odd that they don't wonder about Kiko being able to pass through. Stella transports Michael and Vanessa back to their home on Earth.

Stella: Fairy school is just like normal school, but we all have magic powers and better outfits.

Stella and Bloom enter the Alfea grounds. Stella says she won't like one scary-looking girl, telling Bloom its Griselda, head of discipline, that she is scary, and in need of a makeover. Griselda is giving one student a hard time, telling the student that she doesn't see her name on the list, but finally finds it before turning the poor girl into something. Poor girl, Elenor of Delona. She's cute. And frightened of big mean Griselda. Bloom frets that she isn't going to be on the list, but Stella says the princess of Vallisto was supposed to come to Alfea this year, but she's doing home schooling instead, so Stella rips apart a letter she was supposed to give to Griselda, but instead, decides to pass Bloom off as the princess, since no one knows what the princess looks like.

Stella: Hey, we're not lying! We're just not telling all we know.

Griselda recognizes Stella, upset that the school board decided to allow Stella back this year. Stella mentions that her parents did buy the school a new computer lab. Guess that might have something with the board allowing Stella back at Alfea. Stella introduces Bloom as Princess Varanda of Vallisto, and easily gets by Griselda.

Inside Alfea, three teachers are peeking through a window: Palladium, not yet named, Wizgiz, also not yet named, and a red-hatted lady. The red-hatted lady is never heard from again after this, and only occasionally seen. Palladium and the red-hatted lady talk about how they spend their summers. Wizgiz wants to show off what he learned and changes into a bunny with Wizgiz's face. He hops onto the red-hatted lady's shoulder, and she faints, as Wizgiz hops onto Palladium's shoulder.

Outside Alfea, before all the students, Griselda goes over the rules of Alfea. The first rule is that the students must follow all the rules in the code of behavior. Because, of course, without that rule, all the others wouldn't count, naturally. She mentions that Stella got expelled last year, after destroying the potions laboratory last year with an unauthorized spell. Bloom seems oddly impressed with Stella's accident, seeing the potions laboratory still in ruins. The second rule is no unauthorized magic. And how often is this rule broken, now? Not even Griselda could possibly keep that tight a lid on all the goings-on all the time. The third rule is to never associate with the witches of Cloud Tower, for which Griselda has no official punishment, since anything the witches may do would be far worse than any punishment she could give. Of course, there's no explanation on what to do if a witch were to target one of them. I mean, is it really unfeasible for one of the witches to just go finding a fairy to pick on for no reason?

COMMERCIAL BREAK #1

Inside Alfea, Miss Faragonda introduces herself as the headmistress of Alfea. She tells the girls how they're all unique, with different sources of power and different origins. Griselda orders the girls to their dormitories. Faragonda tells the girls to use every opportunity to connect with their winx.

Walking down the hallway to their room, Bloom asks Stella if she knows what she's going to be.

Stella: Duh, I'm gonna' like rule the kingdom of Solaria.

Stella, Stella, Stella... a bit more obnoxious in the earlier episodes, but she still gets along with Bloom nicely, anyway. Stella goes on to explain what "winx" is.

Stella: Winx is essentially three things. First, its your source of power, as in your strength and energy, and second, it's what guides you. Thirdly, its your magical identity.

As Stella and Bloom enter their room, Stella says she hopes her roommates are better than the ones she had last year, who had bad fashion sense, and goes on to say she's got a single bedroom in their dorm. Bloom goes into her room to see what her room looks like, but accidentally steps on a plant root, causing the plant itself to scream "That hurt!" Flora steps out and tells Bloom that the plant is her latest creation, that if more plants could talk, it would help prevent deforestation. Flora goes on about how the plant is cute, then accidentally knocks the plant off its little table, sending it crashing to the ground, complaining. Bloom introduces herself as Bloom by accident, then claims to be Varanda from Vallisto, and that she isn't named Bloom. Very subtle cover up there, Bloom. Tecna pops up behind Bloom, sprouting off random facts about Vallisto, then introduces herself as Tecna. To think Tecna does this sort of thing for fun. Stella introduces herself to Tecna, and Tecna recognizes Stella's name as the girl who blew up the potions lab. Musa, not yet named, comes out of her room, asking Stella to warn them if she plans to blow up anything else.

Stella: It was in the name of fashion. I don't regret it.

Tecna asks if Stella was able to create the new shade of pink, but Stella says she couldn't. In Flora's room, her plant is holding Kiko hostage. Flora scolds the plant, but Bloom says that Kiko was probably trying to eat it. Flora prepares some fast-growing organic carrots for Kiko. Stella says they should go to downtown Magix for pizza. Flora says downtown Magix is fun.

The five girls take a hoverbus down to downtown Magix, and Flora prepares Bloom, that she'll be blown away when she sees the city. Bloom's eyes are shut, and opens them once Tecna tells her to take a look. Bloom's a bit pissed-looking, disappointed that Magix looks more ordinary than she had hoped. Except for the hovercars, anyway. Bloom said she expected dragons, rainbows, unicorns, giants, and flying brooms. Stella says that's just fairy tale stuff. Bloom is impressed with a hovercar making room for its own parking space, though.

The five girls pass by an eyeglasses store, with Knut inside, hoping to buy some new glasses. He has on a pair of pretty hideous pink glasses that the store owner or employee is trying to convince Knut look good on him. They don't. He spots what he thinks are the fairies, the store owner or employee confirms that they looked like Alfea students, and Knut rushes out, with the store owner or empolyee upset that he didn't pay for the glasses. Knut may be a villain, but he seems like the kind of villain who would've paid for those glasses had he not been preoccupied with the fairies at the moment. Knut immediately calls "Your Highness"--or Icy, though she is not yet named. Icy threatens that the call had better be important. Knut informs her that he saw Stella. Icy says they'll take her sceptre and kill or. Icy didn't actually use the word "kill," but that's what she obviously meant.

COMMERCIAL BREAK #2

Inside the pizza parlor, Bloom complains to her four friends that her cell phone isn't working, that she can't even get a signal.

Tecna: Let me see it. I love taking these things apart.

Ah, Tecna. Getting glee from taking things apart like a small child. Tecna tells Bloom the phone is ancient technology, belonging in a museum. Bloom complains that it's the newest phone, then Stella quietly reminds her that it's only the newest phone on earth. Tecna says there's an interrealm phone on the corner that she can use.

In the booth, Bloom calls Vanessa, telling her mother how great things are. Bloom says she'll call again in the morning, spots Knut passing by, then tries to desperately hurry her mother off the phone, saying how badly she needs to get off. She eventually gets off, and hurries after Knut.

In the alley, Knut tells the three witches--the Trix sisters, though never officially named in the cartoon series itself--that he saw Stella on Wand Avenue. Darcy senses an intruder, and replicates herself.

Darcy: Sometimes I forget how pretty I am, honestly.

Knut continues on that he thinks the Earth girl was with Stella, as well as a few other girls. One of the Darcys push Bloom out toward Knut and the three Trix sisters. Icy threatens Bloom if she doesn't tell them where Stella is. Bloom threatens Icy back, telling the Trio that she has magic, and shoots little sprinkles at Icy, which float down to the ground before even reaching Icy. Icy makes fun of Bloom, that she barely has winx, and decides to show her what real magic is, and produces snow over Bloom, as well as some ice. Stormy conjures up a tornado that blows Bloom up to a roof edge, where she hangs on. Icy encases Bloom in a small ice coffin. Icy's favorite spell. Icy tells Bloom that fairies don't last long in ice, so she had better tell the Trio where Stella is... which soon becomes unnecessary, as Stella and the others show up before the sisters. Icy also has the audacity to scratch her nails on the ice, which makes the same sound as if she were scraping them across a chalkboard. As if being encased in a giant block of ice weren't bad enough!

Icy orders Knut to go after the other four fairies, and they decide to transform into their winx forms, going through a little transformation sequence. Like Stella did in "It Feels Like Magic," but involving all four of the girls, and less time spent on each individual's transformation. Tecna traps Knut in a digital web--a grid sphere that keeps him hovering above the ground. Musa uses her subwoofer blast, creating loud music Knut is forced to endure inside the digital web. Aside from the annoyance factor, though, it doesn't seem to actually do anything, though. Flora uses ivy rope, which ties Knut up, then catapults him away. Icy gets angry, and shoots several icicles at the "firsties"--one of many insults used for the fairies. Not to mention Mirta... but we'll get to her a little later in the series.

COMMERCIAL BREAK #3

Icy: Now it's going to get piercing cold.

Ah Icy, queen of the bad pun. Darcy's usually better with the "cute" jokes. Tecna tells the other girls to get behind her, as she uses her firewall shield to protect them from the icicles. Stormy shoots lightning at the girls, which destroy Tecna's shield, and blows the girls back. Icy starts conjuring up a spell to defeat them, as Stella quickly changes her Solaria ring to her Solaria sceptre, and transports the five girls away. Icy is shocked when she realizes the girls got away, and starts yelling.

Stella tells Bloom how proud she is of her, and how great it is that an Earth girl could do so well in the ice. Tecna, Flora, and Musa hear this, and want Stella to tell them about why she called her Bloom and said she was from Earth. Flora in particular looks pissed. Stella's wide-eyed expression, though, is priceless. Stella says she'll explain on their way back to Alfea.

As the five girls sneak back into Alfea, Bloom feels she wants to tell Miss Faragonda who she really is. Griselda and Faragonda stop the girls, asking if they know what time it is, and saying they were worried. Faragonda says they'll talk about this tomorrow. Griselda insists on knowing what it was that she wanted to tell Miss Faragonda. Bloom tells her that she isn't Varanda and not from Vallisto. Griselda is upset about Bloom breaking so many rules, but Faragonda realizes that she must have magic, else she wouldn't have been able to get in in the first place. Stella tries to take the blame, but Bloom takes it herself. She says that she's Bloom and she's from Earth. Griselda wants to punish her, but Faragonda stifles Griselda, saying that they will give her a chance, and she can take Varanda's place. Griselda reluctantly agrees. Very reluctantly. She obviously so wants to turn Bloom into something, and doesn't really like Faragonda being, in Griselda's eyes, too soft. Miss Faragonda wonders just who Bloom is, though, since Earth doesn't have magical creatues.

Other Stuff

Very good episode. We got introduced to the school of Alfea itself, as well as the other three Winx girls: Tecna, Flora, and Musa. Tecna had a particularly enjoyable outing here. We also got our first battle with the Trix sisters, who weren't really using all their strength today. Then again, they don't yet realize how much trouble these Winx girls are going to cause them, so why should they have used all their might? Ah, but they'll learn....

Kiko somehow was able to get through the magical barrier. There must be more to Kiko than just being an ordinary bunny....